2012 NFL Free Agents: Elite Playmakers That'll Alter Mock Drafts

Change is in the air around the NFL. Can you smell it?

The opening of free agency on March 13th will go a long way toward determining how most teams go about stocking their respective rosters with young talent during the 2012 NFL Draft. These three big free-agent fish, in particular, will figure prominently into how the league goes about harvesting the latest crop of college football stars.

Matt Flynn

Because there's only one Robert Griffin III, most teams in search of franchise quarterbacks will have to settle for either a second-tier collegiate prospect or someone seeking employment on the free-agent market.

Matt Flynn appears to be the best of the bunch, assuming Drew Brees re-ups with the New Orleans Saints as most expect he will. Flynn, the long-time backup to Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers, has shined when given the opportunity to start and demonstrated plenty of grit and determination to do so with so little playing time penciled in.

Still, Flynn is largely unproven, though that hasn't stopped the Miami Dolphins, with former Packers coordinator Joe Philbin at head coach, from lining up as the front-runners to land his services. 

Vincent Jackson

The market will soon be overflowing with wide receivers, and not simply because the upcoming draft class is loaded with top-tier talent (i.e. Justin Blackmon, Alshon Jeffery, Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright, etc.).

There just so happens to be quite a few elite options to be had in free agency, and Vincent Jackson is perhaps the best of the bunch. The San Diego Chargers previously denied V-Jax a long-term extension because of injuries and past friction between the two parties.

That may well prove to be the Bolts' big loss, seeing as how Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowler, is likely to strike it rich with any number of teams in need of pass catchers, including the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns.

Wherever Jackson lands, he'll be sure to leave one less spot open for one of the many rookies who'd otherwise occupy it. 

Cortland Finnegan

This year's draft class isn't particularly long on corners, with the quality dropping off a bit after the top three of Morris Claiborne, Dre Kirkpatrick and Janoris Jenkins.

Hence, for those teams in search of help in the secondary (i.e. the Dallas Cowboys), the stakes will be that much higher in pursuit of Cortland Finnegan. The Pro Bowler and long-time Tennessee Titans star is no Nnamdi Asomugha, but he's still arguably a top-10 player at his position.

That in itself should be enough to spur a host of teams to throw money at Finnegan, particularly those without picks in the top half of the first round.

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